Oh lord

[imported_sherk]

Well said. I just wish the school board and BOS would just step up and do something. I am getting tired of all of the talk and new studies and nothing changes.

[imported_MoonlightGraham]

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thinking about the future??

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Why think about the future? Go to highschool play football, marry the first person you date, have kids, repeat. Not that there is anything wrong with that...but.



They are obviously not thinking about anything but football season. Smaller class rooms are a good idea, but I agree this area in particular is used to getting by on "just the basics." We had the head of admissions of UVA Med School come talk out the college the other day and he said that people from this area score lower on the verbal portion of the test, year in and year out, then anywhere else in the state (he is from swva btw).
I know college is a major adjustment for everyone, but I think we need to do more in this region to challenge students. Make classes more in depth for the kids who want to learn on a higher level. I don't know if this means offering more electronic classes or what, but education should be not only the primary but the concern when dealing with the children. Not who is gonna wear blue and gold on friday night, or even pinstripes come spring time. But getting these kids ready for college and the real world.

[aphrodite4ever]

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As I have said before, what happens in 25 years when the county's schools are completely and totally outdated (not that they aren't now) and we have no choice but to build new schools?

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It may not have a chance to go that far. With poor school conditions and (some) declining test scores, the Commonwealth of Virginia may very well do to Wise County what Kentucky did to all of it's bickering little counties on our border "? Here is $(some amount). You have this time frame to find a suitable place to build ONE county school. If you do not do so, we will do it for you and you will like it. How can you respond to "an offer you cannot refuse?"

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The commonwealth of virginia does not have the power to do that. That is why the SB has the heavy burden of deciding to rennovate or consolidate. Im sure they'd all love to have someone else to make the decision for them so no one can say well its your fault this happened or whatever. The state is the one that has the power. Think about it. If the state itself could force us to consolidate and make all those important decisions, then what would be the point of having a school board for the county and a board of supervisors? Also, why wouldn't they have done it already?

[imported_Counts]

Just becouse the state has not done this does NOT mean that they will not in the future.

Pressure is building in NOVA to keep more State Tax dollars in there area and cutting funding to places like SWVA

[R0cketer]

Hate to tell you, the state does have that ability.

All they have to do is decide hey we're going to make a law with certain requirements (say an avg number of students per school gets a certain amount of state funding, while anything less than that gets another amount). You don't think that the Northern part of VA (which has the population, and thus the control of how the state goes) would do that, afterall, its their tax money that comes here in many many ways.

The fun idea of going to the general assembly to try to keep the coal severance is rich. I quote the coalfield

Wise County generates about $6 million in severance tax per year, according to county Commissioner of Revenue Doug Mullins. Half of that, or about $3 million, goes directly into the county's general fund, contributing about 6.75 percent of the county's total $44.4 million general fund budget.

So you're looking at 3 million. Now maybe gernerously 2/3 of that is from what consider Appalachia (again though, how difficult would it for the county to redraw and make the good parts no longer Appalachia's districts? Especially since I don't believe much of the coal is in the actual corporation limits of Appalachia). So you're saying that Appalachia provides what, generously 2 million? Now then if the county was to get hosed by Appy taking the coal severance and trying to claim it as its own, would the county not logically make Appalachia fund some of their other things themselves? You know police, landfill, etc? I mean if Appalachia goes from basically providing nothing to the county, don't look for the county to bend over backwards for them.

This is just the latest attempt to throw something up there, hope it sticks, hope that people don't start thinking about the 'other side of it' and just think wow thats right, look what we do.

Curious as well how much success a delegation from Appalachia requesting the state change something would work. They would request it, while the rest of the county would oppose. Who would be the speakers? The few that constantly show up? I'm sorry to tell you, if they did, you might be lucky to keep the funding we get.

I mean I understand the mentality of wanting something, but other people from outside see things not as "hey lets be all heartful and do what the small community of people want", the state and the legislators go 'how does it affect us' and if it doesn't, how does it affect the bottom line. Hate to tell you, if you go the state, nobody from Fairfax or Richmond or Norfolk or Roanoke is going to really care if they tick off a group of about 200 people in SWVA. However that group of 200 people should care if they tick of the NOVA sector. Hey maybe Appalachia, Pound and St. Paul just can form a new state.

[aphrodite4ever]

Well if they have the "ability" to make us consolidate and they are so desparately trying to cut costs, especially around here as you say, then lets go ahead and toss the school board and the board of supervisors! [img]/LDPforum/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] Yeah thats not happening because there has to be a system to this. The states power is overrated sometimes, and I am afraid that this is one of them. Who is going to toss thousands of dollars for people they dont need? No one.

[1inStripes]

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Who is going to toss thousands of dollars for people they dont need? No one.

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The government. It happens all the time. Plus, this would actually be something for the benefit of the state, county, and future leaders of the area. This may turn into a situation the state may need to step into.

[Glory_Days]

is it just me...or does "thunderstruck" play every time senorita bush comes up to speak?

[the_alienist]

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Best thing for the students would be to get government out of the education business.


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Awesome Post

[R0cketer]

You're misunderstanding the difference between the state wanting to and the state being able to.

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Who is going to toss thousands of dollars for people they dont need? No one.

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Very obviously you, and the ones who keep insisting 6 schools for a school population of less than 2000 students.